0:00:11 > 0:00:13Pity we have to work on such a day!
0:00:13 > 0:00:14Gorgeous, isn't it?
0:00:14 > 0:00:15- Isn't it a stonker?- Yeah.
0:00:15 > 0:00:17Hello, and welcome to Beechgrove,
0:00:17 > 0:00:20on an absolutely glorious summer day.
0:00:20 > 0:00:22You know, a couple of weeks ago, when we were at
0:00:22 > 0:00:25Gardening Scotland, we kind of got a cross section of views
0:00:25 > 0:00:28- about what the spring's been like. - Yeah.- Very slow - very, very slow.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30You couldn't say now - everything is...
0:00:30 > 0:00:32- No, everything's come on a treat.- Yeah.
0:00:32 > 0:00:34I mean, including the scatter mixes, which
0:00:34 > 0:00:36- we'll look at again in a few weeks' time.- I've no doubt! Aye,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39there will be comments made, yes, yes - but we're quite happy
0:00:39 > 0:00:42- with this, I think, eh?- Well, right. - Yeah.- When you think that this
0:00:42 > 0:00:45- was sown just a month ago... - Mm-hm.- ..and now it's complete
0:00:45 > 0:00:49ground cover, but we need to think about what we've got to do next.
0:00:49 > 0:00:51Yeah, it's a common question, isn't it?
0:00:51 > 0:00:53People go into a new house, you wait till the spring,
0:00:53 > 0:00:54you sow the grass - when can I cut it?
0:00:54 > 0:00:56Or, when I NEED to cut it.
0:00:56 > 0:00:59Not too soon. We've got a roller mower here,
0:00:59 > 0:01:01so I would take this roller mower over it,
0:01:01 > 0:01:04not meaning to cut very much at all.
0:01:04 > 0:01:07- High height of cut.- In other words, the rolling actually has an effect.
0:01:07 > 0:01:09Well, the rolling, it sort of bruises the stems, crushes them,
0:01:09 > 0:01:12pushes them down into the soil, and then you get this tillering
0:01:12 > 0:01:14from the base, where you get all these young shoots
0:01:14 > 0:01:17coming away from the base, and that really thickens the whole sward up.
0:01:17 > 0:01:20- You wouldn't want to use a wheeled machine, because it...- No.
0:01:20 > 0:01:23- ..on a new turf, might mark it rather badly.- Mm.
0:01:23 > 0:01:25So, this may take off a little,
0:01:25 > 0:01:28- but not too much. The important thing is to get it rolled.- Yep, yep.
0:01:28 > 0:01:30In the rest of the programme...
0:01:33 > 0:01:37I've got an idea about how to recycle these pots -
0:01:37 > 0:01:39yes, it's gardening on a budget again.
0:01:42 > 0:01:45The geography scholars amongst you will recognise this edifice
0:01:45 > 0:01:48behind me - it is, of course, Wade's Bridge,
0:01:48 > 0:01:51which means that I'm in the town of Aberfeldy.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55Subject - training young people, and how to grow a gardener.
0:01:58 > 0:02:02Well, we often so quite a few trials or observations in the garden,
0:02:02 > 0:02:06and here's another one for you - it's all about seeds and seed tapes,
0:02:06 > 0:02:11and I'm just going to grow some fairly quick maturing vegetables -
0:02:11 > 0:02:16things like radish, beetroot, carrot and spring onions.
0:02:16 > 0:02:20And so, what I've got is one of the trenches, that is sown direct -
0:02:20 > 0:02:24then we go into the seed tape here, which is a new one on the market.
0:02:24 > 0:02:27It says that it's weed-suppressing technology,
0:02:27 > 0:02:31so what you've got to remember is the black side goes down the way,
0:02:31 > 0:02:35and, OK, so, the seeds, they will germinate,
0:02:35 > 0:02:37the roots will go down, but if there's any weed seedlings
0:02:37 > 0:02:40coming up, they shouldn't come through that little mat -
0:02:40 > 0:02:42and you can see the seeds in there,
0:02:42 > 0:02:44and, of course, the great thing about seed tapes
0:02:44 > 0:02:46is that you shouldn't have to thin them,
0:02:46 > 0:02:48whereas when you sow them direct,
0:02:48 > 0:02:50we often have to do a little bit of thinning.
0:02:50 > 0:02:53And then this one is a biodegradable one,
0:02:53 > 0:02:56and again, you can see the little radish in there.
0:02:56 > 0:03:01I've also got a grow mat, which has got five different varieties.
0:03:01 > 0:03:03It does repeat the ones that I'm trying here.
0:03:03 > 0:03:05That cost £10,
0:03:05 > 0:03:08which I think is not too bad, quite good value for money.
0:03:08 > 0:03:11As for the tapes, they are the same price.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13Both these packets are £3 -
0:03:13 > 0:03:17however, with the biodegradable one, you get six metres -
0:03:17 > 0:03:19with the weed-suppressing technology,
0:03:19 > 0:03:20you only get four metres.
0:03:20 > 0:03:24And then you look at the seed packet here - just over £2,
0:03:24 > 0:03:26and we've got 1,000 seeds.
0:03:26 > 0:03:28So, I think it'll be interesting to see it,
0:03:28 > 0:03:31but obviously, if you are happy sowing direct,
0:03:31 > 0:03:32that will be the cheapest method.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35And the other thing to think about is, because we did mention at the
0:03:35 > 0:03:37beginning of the programme, it has been so hot and sunny,
0:03:37 > 0:03:40we've watered the ground - but another alternative
0:03:40 > 0:03:42is to take out your drill, water the drill,
0:03:42 > 0:03:44and then put down the seed tape.
0:03:52 > 0:03:55It's time, again, for some money-saving tips.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57I'm back in Kennethmont, rural Aberdeenshire,
0:03:57 > 0:04:00where we're trying to garden on a budget.
0:04:01 > 0:04:03Throughout the series,
0:04:03 > 0:04:06I'm showing you how you can get more out of your garden for less.
0:04:06 > 0:04:07It's the month of May,
0:04:07 > 0:04:10and I've been helping Meike and her family,
0:04:10 > 0:04:12who've recently moved to the countryside.
0:04:12 > 0:04:16Meike wants her new garden to be a place where her children can forage
0:04:16 > 0:04:18and where wildlife can freely roam.
0:04:20 > 0:04:23How did you get on, shifting the elephant's ears?
0:04:23 > 0:04:25- It went quite well, yes. - And where did you put it?
0:04:25 > 0:04:28Just a few in the garden, and a few in the woodland,
0:04:28 > 0:04:31- and I'm really surprised how strong they are.- Mm-hm.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33- Well watered in, and they should be OK.- Yeah, yeah.
0:04:33 > 0:04:36Which is good. So, that means that you've prepared this bed for us...
0:04:36 > 0:04:39- Yes.- ..because I did give you a bit of homework, didn't I?
0:04:39 > 0:04:41So, what have you added to it, anything?
0:04:41 > 0:04:44- My home-made compost... - Uh-huh.- ..for free!
0:04:44 > 0:04:46And just some fertiliser.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49You're Dutch - you must love cut flowers.
0:04:49 > 0:04:52- I love cut flowers, yes.- Yeah? Well, the whole idea, then,
0:04:52 > 0:04:54is that I've introduced... Well, I say flowers -
0:04:54 > 0:04:56I've started off here with an ornamental grass.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59- What do you think of that? - It looks beautiful.
0:04:59 > 0:05:02It really sort of moves in the wind, it's called quaking grass,
0:05:02 > 0:05:04or greater quaking grass,
0:05:04 > 0:05:05a little echium,
0:05:05 > 0:05:08we've got a linaria - I like the name, "Sweeties", or toadflax,
0:05:08 > 0:05:12and finishing off with a rather sort of maroony-coloured cornflower.
0:05:12 > 0:05:13- Beautiful colour.- Yeah.
0:05:13 > 0:05:16- Rather unusual, cos we tend to get those as blue.- Yeah.
0:05:16 > 0:05:17You're pretty organised, as well,
0:05:17 > 0:05:19cos, I mean, you do a lot of seed sowing here,
0:05:19 > 0:05:21- with the vegetables - using the stick.- My special tool!
0:05:21 > 0:05:25- Well, again, it's for free, isn't it?- Yeah!- In many ways.
0:05:25 > 0:05:26Or you can just use the rake, I think,
0:05:26 > 0:05:28- just to guide you with the line.- Yeah.
0:05:28 > 0:05:31And because we've got five varieties,
0:05:31 > 0:05:34- I reckon we can get two rows of each variety.- OK.
0:05:34 > 0:05:36- So, if you start with the grass...- No problem.
0:05:36 > 0:05:39..and I'll start with the cornflower, I think.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41- Yeah.- Let's get sowing, shall we?
0:05:44 > 0:05:46It's lovely soil, Meike.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50It is really good soil. I'm blessed with good soil.
0:05:56 > 0:05:57Meike, I don't know if you ever do this,
0:05:57 > 0:06:00- but I just use the head of the rake...- OK.
0:06:00 > 0:06:02- ..and it just kind of firms the drill.- Yeah.
0:06:08 > 0:06:10Some of the seeds are absolutely...
0:06:10 > 0:06:12- Some are minute, aren't they? - ..tiny!
0:06:15 > 0:06:18So, now we've finished sowing, so it's time for the labelling.
0:06:18 > 0:06:20Yeah, and I've got an idea to make some labels,
0:06:20 > 0:06:23just using a pot, just recycle it.
0:06:23 > 0:06:26So, cut off the top and the bottom,
0:06:26 > 0:06:29and just make them into label shapes, basically - look.
0:06:29 > 0:06:31- That's a great idea! - That's what you end up with.
0:06:31 > 0:06:34And then, you know, a white marker pen, or a silver marker pen,
0:06:34 > 0:06:37- and that's what you end up with.- Oh!
0:06:37 > 0:06:40- That looks cool.- Yeah.- Clever idea. - So, you can write away.
0:06:40 > 0:06:42Thank you.
0:06:45 > 0:06:47Well, I think that bed looks really good.
0:06:47 > 0:06:49And now we're going to move on to edible flowers,
0:06:49 > 0:06:53cos I know you were keen on your foraging in the woodland.
0:06:53 > 0:06:56So, things like nasturtiums, which are really peppery,
0:06:56 > 0:06:58- we've got borage flowers for gin and tonics!- Ooh!
0:06:58 > 0:07:01But I'm going to show you a different technique
0:07:01 > 0:07:04of how you can sow these, because that's a really sort of formal bed,
0:07:04 > 0:07:06we've done them in lines.
0:07:06 > 0:07:11This is taking a bit of sand so we can, like, mark out a little area...
0:07:11 > 0:07:17So, let's say, Meike, that's going to be for the nasturtiums,
0:07:17 > 0:07:21and then I would draw a few lines, at an angle...
0:07:21 > 0:07:24and that's where you would sow them.
0:07:24 > 0:07:26Next area...
0:07:26 > 0:07:28Let's say, go like this...
0:07:28 > 0:07:31and I draw the lines at a different angle...
0:07:31 > 0:07:34- Now, can you see what I'm getting at now?- Yeah!
0:07:34 > 0:07:37Cos what happens is, OK, when they germinate,
0:07:37 > 0:07:39you can see that that's the nasturtiums,
0:07:39 > 0:07:41and you know what's the weed seeds,
0:07:41 > 0:07:44but the overall pattern at the end of the day
0:07:44 > 0:07:47looks as if you've scattered the mix across the bed.
0:07:47 > 0:07:50- Yeah - you can get really creative with shapes.- You can.- Yeah!
0:07:50 > 0:07:52And, I mean, I know that you like to be creative,
0:07:52 > 0:07:55so, I mean, what kind of design do you want to go for?
0:07:55 > 0:08:00- Maybe like a sun in the middle, like a circle, and then, like, rays.- OK.
0:08:00 > 0:08:03- Right, let's start. You can put the sand down...- Yeah.
0:08:03 > 0:08:05..and then we'll start sowing.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13I would do this at an angle rather than having it straight, you know?
0:08:13 > 0:08:16- Yeah.- We want to make it look as if it's informal, so...
0:08:26 > 0:08:29Well, Meike, I've saved you quite a bit of money, there, I think,
0:08:29 > 0:08:32from sowing from seed - but we're moving onto the next stage,
0:08:32 > 0:08:33and these...
0:08:33 > 0:08:38- Very tiny! Tiny little plug plants, and they're actually perennials.- OK.
0:08:38 > 0:08:41So, I sent away for them,
0:08:41 > 0:08:45and it's what they call a sort of value for money collection.
0:08:45 > 0:08:4912 different varieties, and working out at 28 pence a plant.
0:08:49 > 0:08:52- OK, that's a good deal.- Yeah.- Yeah. - Do you recognise any of them?
0:08:52 > 0:08:55- Yeah, yeah - I see the foxglove and some lavender there...- Mm.
0:08:55 > 0:08:58- ..and this is the Granny's Bonnets.- Yes, aquilegia -
0:08:58 > 0:09:00so, you know, there's a nice collection.
0:09:00 > 0:09:03Because they arrived like this about ten days ago,
0:09:03 > 0:09:04they came to the garden,
0:09:04 > 0:09:06so the gardeners have actually potted them on,
0:09:06 > 0:09:09but what I want to do is, we'll line them out here,
0:09:09 > 0:09:14- treating it as like a nursery bed... - OK.- ..because they're so tiny,
0:09:14 > 0:09:15and then I think, next year,
0:09:15 > 0:09:17you could then plant them out into the garden.
0:09:17 > 0:09:20- So they can develop, yes. OK.- So, that's what we'll do.
0:09:20 > 0:09:23- We'll just line them out - use your stick again.- Yes!
0:09:36 > 0:09:37So, that's that planting done -
0:09:37 > 0:09:39and I'm really impressed with your labels.
0:09:39 > 0:09:40That's really cool!
0:09:40 > 0:09:42- Yeah, I can see you cutting up pots, now.- Mm!
0:09:42 > 0:09:44So, this is a project you've been wanting to do for a while,
0:09:44 > 0:09:47- and we've got Callum to help us with this.- Yeah!
0:09:47 > 0:09:48So, what's the idea?
0:09:48 > 0:09:50- I would love a bench.- Uh-huh.
0:09:50 > 0:09:52We've got the plank from a neighbour,
0:09:52 > 0:09:54he's a tree surgeon, in Clatt,
0:09:54 > 0:09:57and, yeah, it needs to be finished!
0:09:57 > 0:10:00- Well you've got the two tree stumps. - Yeah.- I mean, that's the great idea.
0:10:00 > 0:10:02I mean, if one person just had one,
0:10:02 > 0:10:04you could make a table, you could make a seat, or whatever -
0:10:04 > 0:10:06I mean, how are you going to go about this?
0:10:06 > 0:10:09Er, well, it's obviously a bit high at the minute,
0:10:09 > 0:10:11so we'll need to take the stumps down, sort of level,
0:10:11 > 0:10:13and then I'll cut grooves into them.
0:10:13 > 0:10:14- Because if that fits in... - So that, yeah -
0:10:14 > 0:10:16for the underside of this to sit in,
0:10:16 > 0:10:18so we can sit that in, and bolt it down into the stumps.
0:10:18 > 0:10:20Brilliant, so that shouldn't take too long,
0:10:20 > 0:10:22- should it, Callum? - Hopefully not, no!
0:10:28 > 0:10:31Meike, I always love being in your woodland.
0:10:31 > 0:10:34- It's such a nice situation. - Listen to the birds.- Yeah, so nice.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36I mean, you like your wildlife.
0:10:36 > 0:10:39So, another tray of plants for you. More plug plants -
0:10:39 > 0:10:42- 100 plug plants, this time.- Wow!
0:10:42 > 0:10:46Working out at 79 pence a plant - because they are much bigger...
0:10:46 > 0:10:49- OK.- ..than those tiny little perennials.- That's not bad.
0:10:49 > 0:10:54- And 13 different varieties. - Will they attract more wildlife?
0:10:54 > 0:10:58Yeah, they should do, because all of these are wild flowers -
0:10:58 > 0:11:02say, for example, the red campion, here, which I think's so pretty.
0:11:02 > 0:11:06That's great for moths. We've got the cow parsley, this one here,
0:11:06 > 0:11:07which has little white flowers,
0:11:07 > 0:11:11- and it's good for hoverflies and honey bees.- Oh, OK - really good.
0:11:11 > 0:11:13So, Callum's done a little bit of work for us,
0:11:13 > 0:11:15and he's cleared the turf.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19I personally think it's better to clear the area and plant the plugs,
0:11:19 > 0:11:21rather than putting it direct into the grass.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24- You can, but it's a lot of competition for them.- OK.
0:11:24 > 0:11:28And would you, like, mix it, or would you keep it to one variety?
0:11:28 > 0:11:31- I would go for one variety, personally.- OK.
0:11:31 > 0:11:36I think if you plant about five of a minimum to a square metre -
0:11:36 > 0:11:38and we've actually got eight of each variety,
0:11:38 > 0:11:40- so I would put eight in there.- OK.
0:11:40 > 0:11:44- And then it can start to naturally...spread.- Spread.
0:11:44 > 0:11:45- So, we'll start...- Really good.
0:11:45 > 0:11:48Yeah, shall we go for the red campion in there?
0:11:48 > 0:11:50- Yes, it's a nice spot. - Yeah, it is. Great idea.
0:11:58 > 0:12:02- Look at this - I'm over the moon. The bench.- It's lovely.- Yeah.
0:12:02 > 0:12:04And we've got little step-ups for the kids.
0:12:04 > 0:12:06- And a wee table.- And a table!
0:12:06 > 0:12:09We've had quite a busy day - I mean, lots of planting,
0:12:09 > 0:12:10- seed sowing...- Lots, yes.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13And you know, sadly, I'm not back until September.
0:12:13 > 0:12:14- No, it's a long time.- It is.- Mm.
0:12:14 > 0:12:17But then, hopefully, you will have had some cut flowers,
0:12:17 > 0:12:18some edible flowers,
0:12:18 > 0:12:21- and I look forward to coming back and hearing about it.- Yeah.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25- I'm over the moon. Thank you. - Oh, great, thanks.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27Today's money-saving tips are...
0:12:43 > 0:12:46Here in the fruit cage I've got a couple of items
0:12:46 > 0:12:48I want to bring to your attention,
0:12:48 > 0:12:52and the first one is a letter that we received
0:12:52 > 0:12:55from Derek in New Zealand.
0:12:55 > 0:12:58Yes, the Beechgrove network is like mycorrhiza -
0:12:58 > 0:13:00it's spread all over the place!
0:13:00 > 0:13:04And despite the fact that their climate is totally opposite
0:13:04 > 0:13:06from ours, very hot and dry -
0:13:06 > 0:13:09we are not so hot, and pretty wet at times -
0:13:09 > 0:13:10they grow soft fruit,
0:13:10 > 0:13:14and the raspberries that Derek grows, he bends the tops over,
0:13:14 > 0:13:17and finds it a very fruitful way of growing them.
0:13:17 > 0:13:20I'm going to use a blackberry here to illustrate what's happening,
0:13:20 > 0:13:21and this is why.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25You'll notice this shoot here has been bent over in an arc.
0:13:25 > 0:13:30That effectively takes the strength away from the apical bud,
0:13:30 > 0:13:32which wants to head for the heavens,
0:13:32 > 0:13:36and, as a result, you get a whole range of fruiting spurs
0:13:36 > 0:13:39right round the arch - and the same happens with raspberry.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41Look at this one, here's another shoot, here.
0:13:41 > 0:13:46Look at them - all fruiting spurs, because it's in an arched
0:13:46 > 0:13:48formation. Incidentally, before we leave that,
0:13:48 > 0:13:51when the new growth comes up for next year,
0:13:51 > 0:13:54don't let it go through there or you'll never get it back again.
0:13:54 > 0:13:55You'll finish having to cut it off.
0:13:55 > 0:13:59So, that's why arched growth like that is a really good thing.
0:13:59 > 0:14:01It's a bit time-consuming
0:14:01 > 0:14:04and a bit expensive, therefore, to do it commercially,
0:14:04 > 0:14:07but you've got plenty of time to do it in the garden.
0:14:07 > 0:14:11Now, then, and as I look at this poor gooseberry bush,
0:14:11 > 0:14:13stable door and horses come to mind.
0:14:13 > 0:14:18This has been absolutely decimated by gooseberry sawfly caterpillars.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22They can absolutely defoliate a bush in 24 hours,
0:14:22 > 0:14:24and that's just precisely what's happened here.
0:14:24 > 0:14:28And on top of that, every shoot is affected by greenfly.
0:14:28 > 0:14:31You see all these crumpled-up leaves?
0:14:31 > 0:14:32Greenfly.
0:14:32 > 0:14:34Now, there is a cure for this,
0:14:34 > 0:14:36and you might say, "Why have you not used it?"
0:14:36 > 0:14:39Well, if we'd used it, we wouldn't have this to show you.
0:14:39 > 0:14:40Uh! Right?
0:14:40 > 0:14:44The cure is nematode, which can be sprayed on, watered in,
0:14:44 > 0:14:48and you've got to have it there at the time to put it on.
0:14:48 > 0:14:50That means a diary.
0:14:50 > 0:14:52When did the damage happen?
0:14:52 > 0:14:55Go back a month, and then, in next year's diary, beginning of May,
0:14:55 > 0:14:59"gooseberry sawfly", if your bushes have been affected, as well.
0:14:59 > 0:15:02So, eggs are laid, caterpillars hatch,
0:15:02 > 0:15:04and they, as I say, will decimate -
0:15:04 > 0:15:07and if you spray with the nematode, it becomes vascular,
0:15:07 > 0:15:10it's in the sap, and the caterpillars are killed off.
0:15:10 > 0:15:13And the bonus is, it will also kill the greenfly -
0:15:13 > 0:15:17so, get yourself a diary, and use it properly.
0:15:17 > 0:15:19So, from a bad news story outside
0:15:19 > 0:15:21to one which is holding much more promise -
0:15:21 > 0:15:23look at these cherries, isn't that fabulous?
0:15:23 > 0:15:26They've got to just start ripening up.
0:15:26 > 0:15:28Now, they will go from this mid-green
0:15:28 > 0:15:31through to a dark, almost black.
0:15:31 > 0:15:33Now, some of them have done this -
0:15:33 > 0:15:35we've got these red cherries at the moment,
0:15:35 > 0:15:37small fruits, a little bit shrivelled,
0:15:37 > 0:15:40and these have got no stones developing inside,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43and they will fall off, so don't even think about eating them.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46These will just disappear and go off the planet.
0:15:46 > 0:15:48The vine is starting to grow pretty well.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50It's sent out its shoots, and if we look here,
0:15:50 > 0:15:53there is what we're looking for - see that, there?
0:15:53 > 0:15:54That's the grape bunch, there -
0:15:54 > 0:15:55and what we want to try and do
0:15:55 > 0:15:58is get one or two of these grape bunches
0:15:58 > 0:16:01every foot, foot and a half, along the whole rod.
0:16:01 > 0:16:02What I'm going to do at this point,
0:16:02 > 0:16:04because I want the energy to go into that,
0:16:04 > 0:16:07is I'm going to count one, two buds above the vine,
0:16:07 > 0:16:09and I'm just going to take that out, there.
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Look at the promise on the fig. Is this not just fabulous?
0:16:12 > 0:16:14But, again, as Jim was saying, with the blackberries,
0:16:14 > 0:16:18make sure that you get these shoots on the right side of the wire.
0:16:18 > 0:16:20If they're round the back of the wire,
0:16:20 > 0:16:22you end up having to cut them off, and that's it.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24And talking of cutting off,
0:16:24 > 0:16:28we've been growing one or two fruit here as standards,
0:16:28 > 0:16:31and we're doing it by what's called the river system,
0:16:31 > 0:16:33where we grow them in pots - bottomless pots -
0:16:33 > 0:16:35and we turn these pots every so often, to break the roots.
0:16:35 > 0:16:38And look at the growth on those! Because they're inside,
0:16:38 > 0:16:40they're growing much faster than anything outside,
0:16:40 > 0:16:42and they're starting to get to the point
0:16:42 > 0:16:43where we need to do some summer pruning.
0:16:43 > 0:16:46So, we're going to prune these sideshoots that we've got here,
0:16:46 > 0:16:49we're going to take these back to - what? four, five leaves,
0:16:49 > 0:16:50something like that,
0:16:50 > 0:16:54and what this does is that it allows the light to get into the fruit
0:16:54 > 0:16:58that's there, and it brings the fruit buds closer to the main stem -
0:16:58 > 0:17:01and that way, we have the promise of fruit for next year
0:17:01 > 0:17:03as well as ripening good fruit this year.
0:17:13 > 0:17:15To this day, I keep getting asked,
0:17:15 > 0:17:17how did I get into gardening in the first place?
0:17:17 > 0:17:18It was in the genes.
0:17:18 > 0:17:22Father was a gardener, two brothers who were forester and farmer,
0:17:22 > 0:17:25another sister who was a market gardener - so, I lived it.
0:17:25 > 0:17:28The whole scene as I grew up through my childhood
0:17:28 > 0:17:29was all about the countryside.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32So, I left school and I went to college -
0:17:32 > 0:17:3550% practical and 50% theory.
0:17:35 > 0:17:39I went on working and studying, getting the basics.
0:17:39 > 0:17:43I get afraid that, today, many of the courses are too academic -
0:17:43 > 0:17:45there's not enough practical involved,
0:17:45 > 0:17:48so, we're churning out degrees in garden design
0:17:48 > 0:17:51and landscape architecture and all the rest of it,
0:17:51 > 0:17:54but there's not a lot of practical horticulture in these courses.
0:17:54 > 0:17:57What I'm worried about is who's going to do the work,
0:17:57 > 0:17:59who's going to look after the plants,
0:17:59 > 0:18:01who's going to nurture the plants?
0:18:01 > 0:18:03Who's doing the actual graft, and has the skills?
0:18:03 > 0:18:06And that's what I'm about to try and find out.
0:18:06 > 0:18:08How do you grow a gardener?
0:18:18 > 0:18:19Over the next few months,
0:18:19 > 0:18:21I'm going to be looking at what hands-on training
0:18:21 > 0:18:24is offered to people at different stages of their life -
0:18:24 > 0:18:28from secondary school students to young apprentices
0:18:28 > 0:18:30through to adults looking for a career change.
0:18:30 > 0:18:32Where do they get the necessary training
0:18:32 > 0:18:37and practical skills to become knowledgeable, practical gardeners?
0:18:37 > 0:18:41Since 1978, when the Beechgrove started,
0:18:41 > 0:18:44we've visited many, many schools who are gardening -
0:18:44 > 0:18:46but almost all of them are infant schools.
0:18:46 > 0:18:52There's one exception. We came to Breadalbane Academy in 2006,
0:18:52 > 0:18:54and helped the children design a garden -
0:18:54 > 0:18:57and it's one of very few secondary schools
0:18:57 > 0:19:00that get involved in this hands-on horticulture training.
0:19:00 > 0:19:04Based in Aberfeldy, the school's pupils spend two years working
0:19:04 > 0:19:08to achieve a nationally recognised qualification in rural skills.
0:19:08 > 0:19:11Peter Butter is their teacher.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13- Hello, there, Peter.- Hello. - Nice to see you again.
0:19:13 > 0:19:15- Nice to see you. - Tell me a bit about the course.
0:19:15 > 0:19:18We cover five elements - growing crops from seed,
0:19:18 > 0:19:21bringing them on in the polytunnel, transplanting them out,
0:19:21 > 0:19:23and eventually putting them out into the garden
0:19:23 > 0:19:24when they feel the frost has gone.
0:19:24 > 0:19:28And they also do a wee bit of soft landscaping, a bit of fencing,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31and we had about seven or eight pupils when I started this -
0:19:31 > 0:19:34eight years later, on average we get about 30 pupils a year
0:19:34 > 0:19:38- choosing to do the rural skills and garden.- Uh-huh.
0:19:38 > 0:19:39So, the 64,000 question, Peter,
0:19:39 > 0:19:42is, how many go on to take on horticultural jobs?
0:19:42 > 0:19:44Any record of that?
0:19:44 > 0:19:46Er, I can't put that on my CV at all -
0:19:46 > 0:19:48- I haven't any pure gardeners...- No.
0:19:48 > 0:19:50- ..but I have had people go in to do green keeping...- Yes.
0:19:50 > 0:19:53- ..and horticulture comes into that. - Very much so.
0:19:53 > 0:19:55- And quite a few around here go to do gamekeeping...- Aye.
0:19:55 > 0:19:58..and the gamekeeping involves a lot of fencing
0:19:58 > 0:20:00and mending dykes and so on.
0:20:00 > 0:20:02So, there's some transferrable skills -
0:20:02 > 0:20:05but one day I might actually get a gardener!
0:20:05 > 0:20:08- Well, I'm going to talk to some of the troops.- Right, OK.- OK, cheers.
0:20:08 > 0:20:10Cheers.
0:20:21 > 0:20:25- So, here we are - what's the job on today?- We're planting broccoli.
0:20:25 > 0:20:28- When will you crop that? - Hopefully maybe next year, spring.
0:20:28 > 0:20:30- Aye, aye, aye.- Roughly.
0:20:30 > 0:20:32I suppose the big question, of course,
0:20:32 > 0:20:34is, would you go on to be a gardener,
0:20:34 > 0:20:36or take up gardening as a career?
0:20:36 > 0:20:39- I'd rather have it as a hobby, more than a career, but...- Aye.
0:20:39 > 0:20:42- Aye.- I think I'd quite like to do farming, livestock farming.
0:20:42 > 0:20:44- Are you a sheep man?- Sheep man.
0:20:44 > 0:20:46In this part of the world it's bound to be, I think, isn't it?!
0:20:46 > 0:20:48Sheep, yeah, definitely.
0:20:48 > 0:20:52- What about yourself?- Um, I wouldn't take it as a career...- Mm.
0:20:52 > 0:20:54..but I think it's a good skill to have
0:20:54 > 0:20:56to sort of work in your own garden, if I ever do have one.
0:20:56 > 0:20:59Well, that's an honest answer, and I respect you for that.
0:20:59 > 0:21:01Let's just see the technique again, chaps.
0:21:01 > 0:21:04- So, big hole...- Yeah, yeah. - ..to put the broccoli in.
0:21:04 > 0:21:06- Just put that in there, John. - And then...
0:21:06 > 0:21:08- I'll give you the watering can after.- Yeah.
0:21:08 > 0:21:11Then we're just going to take the dibble,
0:21:11 > 0:21:14- and we're just going to push... - And that gives it a...
0:21:14 > 0:21:16Aye, bring it up to the vertical.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19Aye, and then pour water down that hole there.
0:21:19 > 0:21:21Well, I think in our weather, at this time,
0:21:21 > 0:21:23- you probably don't need to do that, but...- No, you don't.
0:21:23 > 0:21:25But it is an option - that's good stuff.
0:21:25 > 0:21:28We're just going to be using that, and we'll make, like, a...
0:21:28 > 0:21:29So it covers the broccoli,
0:21:29 > 0:21:31so rabbits and pigeons can't get into it,
0:21:31 > 0:21:32because pigeons quite like it.
0:21:32 > 0:21:35That's it - they can undo all your good work, can't they?
0:21:35 > 0:21:36Aye, we don't want that at all.
0:21:36 > 0:21:38Thanks for that, boys - that's brill.
0:21:43 > 0:21:45Now, then...
0:21:45 > 0:21:48- This time I'm meeting Ewan, is that right?- Yep.
0:21:48 > 0:21:50- And Harris.- Yeah.
0:21:50 > 0:21:52- And what's the job? - We're splitting polyanthus.
0:21:52 > 0:21:53OK.
0:21:53 > 0:21:57- They do quite well here, don't they? - Yeah.
0:21:57 > 0:22:01They love the cool, damp weather, and they like shady places -
0:22:01 > 0:22:03because, you know, Scotland doesn't get a lot of sun.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05That's true! That's true.
0:22:05 > 0:22:08- Yep.- There you go - a fork in between.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10- I'm telling you, if you use two... - Yeah. ..back-to-back,
0:22:10 > 0:22:13it makes it easier. Push them right down, hard.
0:22:14 > 0:22:15Have a shot.
0:22:18 > 0:22:20OK, take them out, boys - just a second -
0:22:20 > 0:22:23cos I brought another piece of kit with me - a pair of scissors.
0:22:23 > 0:22:25For a different reason -
0:22:25 > 0:22:28but I think there's a but of rhizome there, you see?
0:22:28 > 0:22:29It's...needing cut.
0:22:31 > 0:22:34But what I was going to do, and I was going to say to you,
0:22:34 > 0:22:37these leaves, because they've been battered about in the wind
0:22:37 > 0:22:40and the weather, sometimes get quite tattered -
0:22:40 > 0:22:42sometimes they get greenfly on them.
0:22:42 > 0:22:45So, grasping it there... take the tops off.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49Right? Like that.
0:22:49 > 0:22:52Now you can see if there are decent crowns.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55That one's probably just needing trimmed...
0:22:55 > 0:22:59and then we're ready to pop it in its pot as a single new plant -
0:22:59 > 0:23:04- and out of that original, what have we made? Three, four?- Yep.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06- That's propagation for you.- Mm-hm.
0:23:06 > 0:23:09Nut apart from that, do you think you're going to be a gardener
0:23:09 > 0:23:11or horticulturalist when you leave school?
0:23:11 > 0:23:15- Er...it's always there, if I want to do it.- Yeah.
0:23:15 > 0:23:16But...
0:23:16 > 0:23:19So, what motivates you to come out here, now, then,
0:23:19 > 0:23:21- and be part of the team?- I enjoy it.
0:23:21 > 0:23:23- Yeah - as simple as that.- Yeah.
0:23:23 > 0:23:25Yeah, yeah. It's another option.
0:23:25 > 0:23:26Another arrow to the quiver, sort of thing.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28Is that the word? Is that how you say it?
0:23:28 > 0:23:29And what about yourself?
0:23:29 > 0:23:33- It's good to have the skills if you do get a house yourself.- Aye.
0:23:33 > 0:23:35- Yeah, yeah.- You need the skills to, like, do your garden up.
0:23:35 > 0:23:38Well, precisely - if you're householders, or whatever,
0:23:38 > 0:23:39you're going to have a bit of a garden,
0:23:39 > 0:23:41- and you now know what to do, don't you?- Yep.
0:23:41 > 0:23:44And you're enjoying yourself - that's the important thing.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56- Hello, there, young man. Sean, isn't it?- Yep.
0:23:56 > 0:23:57So, what's this you're up to?
0:23:57 > 0:24:01- I'm planting snapdragons right now. - OK!- Pricking them out.- Aye.
0:24:01 > 0:24:04Now, I'm not going to be picky, but I'm telling you,
0:24:04 > 0:24:07what you should be doing is lifting it by the leaf, not by the stem.
0:24:07 > 0:24:08Oh, yeah.
0:24:08 > 0:24:12- When you were about to lift it by the stem, it's quite tender.- Right.
0:24:12 > 0:24:17Lots of little hairs that could break, or damage it. On you go.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20So, pricking out snapdragons.
0:24:20 > 0:24:23Would this be your first love? What do you like doing best?
0:24:23 > 0:24:25Er, green keeping and just grass cutting.
0:24:25 > 0:24:27- Oh, really?- Yeah.- Yeah?
0:24:27 > 0:24:29And do you do this at home, and so on?
0:24:29 > 0:24:32Well, after school, I've got my own wee business, like,
0:24:32 > 0:24:35so I just go about cutting folks' gardens, like, after school.
0:24:35 > 0:24:38- Really?!- Yeah, I've got... - How many?- Four gardens a week.
0:24:38 > 0:24:41And what sort of kit have you got? Do you use their kit, or your own?
0:24:41 > 0:24:44My own kit. I've got some lawnmowers, strimmers...
0:24:44 > 0:24:46And do you plan going to college, or - what's the story?
0:24:46 > 0:24:50Well, I've been Elmwood and had a look at it for the open season,
0:24:50 > 0:24:51and it's really good, I really enjoyed it.
0:24:51 > 0:24:53- Yeah - you approve of that?- Yeah.
0:24:53 > 0:24:54JIM CHUCKLES
0:24:54 > 0:24:56And they asked me what I do for a living -
0:24:56 > 0:24:59do I do a paper round or something, and I said I do gardening,
0:24:59 > 0:25:01and that's when they started to, like, listen,
0:25:01 > 0:25:04so they said I would definitely get in.
0:25:04 > 0:25:06- Yeah - you're home and dry, my man.- Yeah.
0:25:06 > 0:25:09- I like the sound it.- Yeah. - You enjoy cutting grass?- Yeah.
0:25:09 > 0:25:12So do I. I've often said, if somebody would pay me
0:25:12 > 0:25:1550 grand a year to cut grass, I'd be as happy as a sandboy.
0:25:15 > 0:25:18- But the thing is, it's the outdoors. - Yeah, it's the outdoors.
0:25:18 > 0:25:21- You don't like the...?- I don't like being stuck in a classroom or that.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24- No, no, no.- It's just outside, doing what you like doing, really.
0:25:24 > 0:25:28I will confidently predict this young man will go far.
0:25:28 > 0:25:30I can tell. That's excellent - and good news.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32Keep up the good work.
0:25:36 > 0:25:39Well, Peter, it's a pity our visit has to finish in the rain, isn't it?
0:25:39 > 0:25:41But that's Scottish weather for you.
0:25:41 > 0:25:43We've had a good blink of sunshine. Yep, yep.
0:25:43 > 0:25:44Yes, we have - we got on pretty well.
0:25:44 > 0:25:47So, just finally, how much time do they spend actually in the garden?
0:25:47 > 0:25:49They spend two and a half hours a week out here,
0:25:49 > 0:25:53and about another 50 minutes in the classroom doing their write-ups.
0:25:53 > 0:25:55Well, I tell you what, it's really a nice thing for me to see,
0:25:55 > 0:25:57because these guys are starting the way I started -
0:25:57 > 0:26:00with getting their hands dirty, and getting the hoe out,
0:26:00 > 0:26:01and doing all the rest of it.
0:26:01 > 0:26:04So, you're one of the pioneering schools as far as I'm concerned,
0:26:04 > 0:26:07and all I can say is, to anybody watching -
0:26:07 > 0:26:09governors, heidies, whatever -
0:26:09 > 0:26:11this opens a window to people,
0:26:11 > 0:26:13to what can be a very satisfying career,
0:26:13 > 0:26:16- and that's gardening and horticulture.- Yep.
0:26:16 > 0:26:18Till next time. Thanks.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Oh, ye of little faith.
0:26:22 > 0:26:24Remember when we pruned this purple elderflower
0:26:24 > 0:26:25earlier in the season,
0:26:25 > 0:26:28and you thought, "Oh, my goodness, what's it going to do?!"
0:26:28 > 0:26:31Well, that's what it's done - it's got some shoots on it,
0:26:31 > 0:26:33which are about a foot and a half to two foot long.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35Wonderful purple foliage, and it comes right down -
0:26:35 > 0:26:38and look at that sea of alliums - don't the two go well together?
0:26:38 > 0:26:40See? It's worth pruning.
0:26:42 > 0:26:45This little observation has turned out quite interesting -
0:26:45 > 0:26:46what I've done is,
0:26:46 > 0:26:49I've taken a number of root vegetables - salad vegetables -
0:26:49 > 0:26:53and I sowed some in pots, and on the day I'm planted them out,
0:26:53 > 0:26:58I sowed direct seed into the ground, to see if there was any difference -
0:26:58 > 0:27:00see if it was worthwhile growing them in pots,
0:27:00 > 0:27:02and see if it gets a little bit of a succession.
0:27:02 > 0:27:05The same is very easy to see here in the carrots -
0:27:05 > 0:27:07you see the little pots, they're growing away,
0:27:07 > 0:27:09they're slightly taller. There's the direct sown.
0:27:09 > 0:27:11But the radish are really quite interesting,
0:27:11 > 0:27:14because here we have - this is rainbow mix.
0:27:14 > 0:27:15Out of the pot, there it is.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17They are meant to be different colours.
0:27:17 > 0:27:21And here we have rainbow mix sown direct on the same day
0:27:21 > 0:27:22as we planted them out.
0:27:22 > 0:27:25So, there's a significant difference
0:27:25 > 0:27:27Is it worthwhile? Well - if you're that way inclined.
0:27:27 > 0:27:28HE CHUCKLES
0:27:31 > 0:27:33How about this for a colourful corner?
0:27:33 > 0:27:36We've got the azalea there, and I wish you could smell it as well,
0:27:36 > 0:27:39cos the perfume it's giving off is absolutely gorgeous.
0:27:39 > 0:27:45The viburnum here - lovely tiered viburnum, the variety is mariesii,
0:27:45 > 0:27:49and although these look like flowers, they are, in fact, bracts.
0:27:49 > 0:27:50And at the back, there -
0:27:50 > 0:27:52I know it's not in flower, it's a philadelphus,
0:27:52 > 0:27:57but lovely golden foliage, which really sets off Maggie's mosaic.
0:28:00 > 0:28:01GEORGE SNIFFS
0:28:01 > 0:28:02Isn't that laburnum fabulous?
0:28:02 > 0:28:04- Isn't it? - It's gorgeous - so colourful.
0:28:04 > 0:28:07It's been tremendous. The sad thing is, of course,
0:28:07 > 0:28:09it doesn't stay in flower all that very long, you know?
0:28:09 > 0:28:12- Yeah, yeah.- But you can enjoy whilst it's...- Absolutely.- ..bloomin'.
0:28:12 > 0:28:14And enjoy your radish.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16Yes, indeed - in small portions.
0:28:16 > 0:28:17Definitely!
0:28:17 > 0:28:19Well, you know, if you'd like any more information
0:28:19 > 0:28:22about this week's programme or those plant names, it's in the fact sheet,
0:28:22 > 0:28:25and the easiest way to access that is online.
0:28:25 > 0:28:26What are you doing next week?
0:28:26 > 0:28:28Next week I'm going to be back on the decking.
0:28:28 > 0:28:29What about you, George?
0:28:29 > 0:28:32- Er...square foot garden. - Uh-huh.- Yeah.
0:28:32 > 0:28:35- I'm going back to college. - Oh!- Yes. Till then...
0:28:35 > 0:28:37- Goodbye.- Bye!- Goodbye.